Think of me as
by Terapsina
Summary: Jeremy is readying the holiday surprise for his sister when he is greeted by a Christmas spirit, - the ghost he thought he would never see again. One-shot. Janna


Disclaimer: All recognizable character belong to (include appropriate names here), they do not in any way give money and rights to me because that pleasure goes to (include appropriate names here).

A/N: I'm in a Christmassy mood, so when I decided to write a short story for at least some of my most favorite lighter VD pairings it was guaranteed to be sweeter than a candy cane and with more fluff than candy floss. This is for Anna and Jeremy.

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O0o0O **Think of me as…** O0o0O

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This Christmas didn't promise to be one of his happiest, there was only him and Elena left and even though his sister could have spent it at the Salvatore manor Jeremy didn't have the heart to go there only to sit in a room where half of his friends weren't talking to him and the other half tried to make him apologize for the thousandth time as if that would somehow fix everything. And Elena wouldn't let him spend the holiday night alone so they would be all by themselves for the first time ever on the Christmas Eve.

But that would be hours from now, it was still the middle of the day and he was alone in a house that was meant for a whole family, not the sad remains of one. He still remembered the days from his childhood when on mornings like these their mother quickly left the house with Jenna leaving the siblings with their father and escape the only day of the year where he touched the oven. And then they baked ginger snaps.

It was their tradition, he had made them with his sister every year for as long as he could remember except for the last one. This year it would be a surprise, if Elena was forcing herself to have a lonely Christmas with him the least he could do is remind her of the happier ones in the past.

That's why he was wearing an apron and putting their old cookie cutters to good use. He was using the one in the form of a star when he felt something behind him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he stopped for a moment trying to decide if the feeling of someone watching him was just in his head. But he lived in a town with too many vampires and even if the Klaus debacle was behind them now it didn't mean he shouldn't be on his guard. He slowly reached for the knife that should be shielded from the eyes of anyone standing behind him and quickly turned around bringing the sharp object up to greet any hit that might have come his way. Such a strike didn't come, but he wasn't alone and the sight of the person greeting him with a smile made him lose his breath.

"Anna?" He had thought he would never see her again, had almost resigned himself to it despite how much he didn't want it to be true. And here she was, exactly as he remembered except even more _real_. He dropped the knife, there wasn't a situation where he could imagine using it on her. "What are you doing here? I thought you were gone, to the other side I mean."

"I was. Think of me as your Christmas Spirit." She was standing looking at him with that little smile that broadcast so much mischief he couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. It sounded like relief.

"So what, are you staying?" He reached forward towards her face, hesitating to touch her. He was so afraid she would feel as nothing more than air to his fingers.

"Until midnight I'm yours." She reached for his hand herself and stepped forward into his enveloping arms, standing up on her toes Anna leaned even closer and kissed him with so much yearning it was as if she hadn't done so for eternity. It felt as if she hadn't.

A minute passed by, two, maybe ten before they parted for breath. He didn't let her go, he was afraid if he did she would disappear and he would wake up from yet another dream.

"So are you the ghost of Christmas past or my Cinderella?" He didn't want to think about her leaving, but if he couldn't help it he could at least paint it lightly. If he could only have her for this one day he wouldn't spend it fearing each passing second.

"Well I'm not planning on losing any of my shoes, but I suppose you can think of me as both." Anna leaned in to steal one more little kiss and then turned around towards the working of his surprise for Elena taking in the mess of flour and haphazardly dropped ingredients. He had not known how hard it would be to bake alone without help. "So do you need any assistance with that?"

The next hour was more playful than he could ever remember being with her, but losing Anna twice had shown him how every moment counts and he no longer cared if he acted silly by her side. After they finished and put the last ginger snap in the oven to bake they dropped to the floor in exhaustion, their fingers interlocking out of some kind of forgotten reflex.

He looked at her and a smile passed on his face, her left cheek was white from flour and some dough was caught in her hair sticking a strand together. He didn't think her remembered her ever looking more beautiful. The exhaustion fled the more powerful need.

Their lips touching had become so natural he didn't have to think about it, but the frenzy that followed took even him by surprise. They barely stumbled to his bedroom and almost passed by the bed. His mind was hazy and lighting up with pleasure like the candles in a Christmas tree, their movement's familiar and wrenching in their intensity.

After they were finished they just lay in his sheets, her head on his chest and his finger running soothingly through her dark tresses. He remembers doing this once before, after the first time they had sex and it calmed him then too.

He suddenly remembered she would be gone in less than ten hours. He would never see Anna again and the tears he had been holding back suddenly refused to obey any longer.

"I wish you could stay." She moved a little, turning around and sitting up using the blanket to cover her chest. She looked at him and very slowly a brilliant smile formed across her face bringing life to her eyes.

"I hoped you would say that." Letting go of the blanket she took his hand and placed it on her chest right above her heart. He felt it beating beneath the skin of his palm. "Jeremy, think of me as your Christmas miracle."

He lost all ability to speak then and before he completely comprehended exactly what it was she was saying there came a scream from downstairs.

"_Jeremy!_ Why is the kitchen on fire?"

O0o0O **The End **O0o0O


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